Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1887-07-13
THE HUMAN TONGUE.

The human tongue is marvellous
muscle. 1t has the power to move
in all directions. 1t is very highly
endowed with the special senses of
touch and taste, and, being COW
cred with an extension of the same
membrane which lines the stomach,
affords very reliable index to the
condition of the digestive tract. We
generally consider the tips OF the
fingers as the. most acutely sensitive
part to the phenomenon of touch,
but the tongue is. much more highly
endowed. ffie smallest particle of
food or other matter in the mouth
is readily sought out. Slight rough
ness in the teeth or even the smallest
shred of silken fiber is detected. A
fine hair which cannot he recognized
by the tips of the fingers, is at once
appreciated by the tongue. This en-
ables US to keep the food we'll under
the teeth during mastication, as well
as to search out small particles which
would lodge about the mouth and
which would otherwise decompose,
much to the injury of mouth and
teeth.
The special sense of taste resides
especially in the tongue, but there
are also what are known as taste
bulbs in other parts of the mouth and
upper part of the throat. The back
part of the tongue is the principal
seat of taste, the tip is the next, and
the sides or edges follow in acuteness,
while the center Of the organ is near
ly devoid ofthe sensation. The sense
of smell has a very peculiar influence
upon taste, and they 60 so clearly
hand in hand that it would seem that
neither can act perfectly without the
other. Those who are devoid of the
sense of smell cannot appreciate taste
as fully as if smell was perfect.
This may be demonstrated by hold
ing the nose tightly and introducing
something into the mouth, when it
will be found that the taste is very
much impaired, but Immediately af-
ter the nose is released the taste is
rapidly noticed. In many cases il
the substance is put into the mouth
by another person, not telling the ex'
perimenter what it is, he will be ut
terly unable to decide until he al
lows air to enter the nostrils.
In certain substances this com.
bined action gives rise to what we
know as flavor, as in the case of the
bouquet of wine or the aroma of cook
ed flesh of any kind. There are
really but four varieties or qualities
of taste. These are sensations O.
sweet, bitter, sour and salt, anc
everything which is really tasteC
must come under one of these heads
We say things are sweetish, acid
salty, bitterish, &c. Other substan
ces are said to be maWkish or insipid
These are really tasteless. There arr
q number of sensations which arr
not really taste, but either favors O.
dependent entirely upon the sense o
smell. Thus vanilla, garlic and
host of other sensations, which w
call taste, only affect the organ Q
smell, as will be seen if the expert
ment cited above is tried.
There are another set of impres
sions which are nearly always, con
founded with taste, the so called bit
ing, cooling, prickling, sandy, mealy
astringent, &c., but these are sensa
tions Of touch, and the same effect j
produced by them upon other part
of the body.
When we consider the differen
"taste" of the hundreds Of thing
eaten and drank it seems strang'
that there are in reality but fou
kinds of taste, sweet, bitter, sour ant
salt, but so it certainly is, notwith
standing.